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History of CLAS

History of The Center for Latin American Studies

The UA Center for Latin American Studies has its origins in the Spanish department, which began offering classes on Latin American literature and history in the early twentieth century. The degree program was developed during the the beginnings of the Cold War, when the government began encouraging students to focus on international studies. Since then, the UA Center for LAS has continued to grow, earning funding and grants, attracting faculty members who are well-respected in the field, and educating students who have gone on to do great work in the United States and abroad.

1908 The Department of Spanish began offering courses on Spanish American and Mexican literature

1919 Courses offered on Spanish American Commerce, Latin American History, Archaeology, Government and MA in Latin American Literature and History,

1947 Inter American degree program focused on political, economic and social relations between North and South America

1958 The Spanish Department establishes the Committee on Latin American Affairs and an undergraduate program,the Guadalajara Summer School program begins, a cultural and scientific exchange with the University of Sonora is developed and serves as the impetus for the creation of the Arizona-Sonora commission

1958-1974 Latin American Studies program administered by the UA Spanish department

1974 UA develops the Latin America Area Center that offered a BA, MA and Ph.D. minor in LAS

1982 The Center receives its first funding from the Tinker Foundation for field research grants

1989 The Center developed and funded a Curriculum Resource Center and operated the Secretariat for the Conference of Latin American History

1994 The Center was moved from the Interdisciplinary Programs office to the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS)

1996 New director Dr. Diana Liverman successfully raises over 1 million in grant funds to expand and develop the LAS program

2000 The Center receives its first U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant as a national resource center and continued to receive Tinker field research funding